Warm Nectarine Turnovers

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Servings:
8
Yield:
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen

Bursting with the sweet-and-tart taste of nectarines, these turnovers are the perfect way to end a picnic lunch.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

  • ½ cup ice water

  • 1 ¾ pounds large, ripe nectarines (about 4)

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

  • ¼ cup honey

  • 2 to 3 cups vegetable oil, for frying

  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

  1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in ice water; toss lightly, gathering the dough into a ball. Dust dough with a little flour, and flatten into a disk. Seal the dish in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

  2. Halve nectarines lengthwise, and discard pits. Leaving the skins on (to give the filling a pretty rose color), chop the fruit into 1/2-inch chunks.

  3. In a large heavy skillet, place the nectarines, granulated sugar, and honey, and fold together. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring, until mixture is thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon, about 25 minutes. Transfer filling to a bowl, and let cool.

  4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough as thinly as possible (about 1/16 inch thick). With a 4-inch fluted cutter, cut the dough into as many rounds as possible. Gather scraps into a ball, and roll out dough as before. Again, cut out as many rounds as possible.

  5. Place about 1 tablespoon filling on the lower third of each round. Moisten the edges of rounds lightly with cold water. Fold rounds in half over the filling, and press the edges together tightly. Seal edges with fork tines that have been dipped in flour.

  6. Preheat the oven to lowest setting. Line a shallow baking dish with paper towels, and place in heated oven. In a large, heavy skillet, add enough oil to reach 1 inch up sides, and place over medium-high heat. When the oil registers 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer, cook the turnovers, turning them occasionally with tongs or a slotted spoon, until they are crisp and golden, about 4 minutes total.

  7. Transfer cooked turnovers to lined dish in the oven to drain. Keep warm until all the turnovers are cooked. Dust warm turnovers with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Cook's Notes

If at any point the dough gets too soft to work with or begins to shrink, refrigerate for 15 minutes before proceeding.

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